Can someone's accent affect the type of job they get? In recent years, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has increasingly been asked to rule on accent discrimination--usually in cases dealing with immigrants. Now comes word that even for native-born speakers, having an accent can hurt job opportunities.

The evidence? In a recent experiment, two researchers at the University of North Texas asked human resource directors to listen to identical recorded passages of text spoken in different U.S. regional accents--and then recommend the best type of job for the speaker. Researchers Patricia Cukor-Avila and Dianne Markley found that job-seekers with identifiable accents, such as a heavy Southern drawl, were more often recommended for lower-level jobs that offer little client or customer contact, such as support positions. Those with a less identifiable accent, such as that found in the Midwest, tended to get recommended for higher-contact, higher-profile--and often higher-paying--jobs in public relations and marketing.

Bottom line: Too often, employers still think that when it comes to talking the talk, bland is best.